datsunlover

I dono about that paint... but it's a damn cool car. I have actually gone for a ride in one, and it is quite a thing... This was a few years ago... but I still remember it very well... wow.. very cool.

see where her head went?!?! ouch!

Nice!

Thats my feeling too.. anyone with the cash can go and buy a Vette (not that I wouldn't if I did have some $$! )... but to build a Datsun.. or whatever for that matter.. is something else.. and as UN-arodynamic as they are, I love the lines of the Z. And in my neck of the woods, there are lots of Vettes, ONE datsun (other than mine that is... I dont think mine counts as a whole car yet... see sig. pic.) and about 5 bazilion Civics with rims, fart cans (mufflers some call them..), hood lights, ect. But even the Honda guys look when you pull into the parking lot in a Z. Most of them have that look 'wow.. what IS that?!?'. I like that...

I would seam to me that how you are going to drive this thing is the bigest factor... Im sure you could destroy the r200 with a mild 2.8 Datsun engine if you were abusive. (droping clutch at 3000rpms repeatedly, lots of burnouts/doughuts, ect) Its the torque that'll kill the rearend, or the sudden aplication of anyway.. As for the gm solid axle, I would think thats a LOT of custom/fabrication work... a shop would probly rape you for it. FWIW:I put a sbc in an 85 Mazda RX7 and changed to a GM 10 bolt rear. Bought it ready to go in for $450 C. BUT: The rx7 was already a solid rear end, and had a factory 4 link suspension setup. The mods to the chev axle were just some flat plates/gussets with holes drilled to bolt on to the mazda 4 link bars, and in it went. And the funny thing is, I destroyed that one.. well, the posi unit anyway. There was no oil in it ( didnt check) and it locked up on a test run down the street.

Well, I went to one of my local yards today, where I used to work a few years ago. Havn't seen the guys in a few months, so I brought coffee's and said hello. Got to talking about my Z, welding a frame in, ect and my old boss said "Heck.. have a look over there in that pile.. I think theres some tube steel.." so I go look. Wow.. gold mine! Old racks/conveyer system from a factory shop or something. TONES of it, all in a pile! Dug around and found a few 5" and smaller sections. Looks brand new to me.. he said they were short ends from somewhere. There isn't even any rust on them yet! So I asked him "How much for a few pieces?" He just patted me on the shoulder and told me to take what I needed. Merry Christmass to me!! heh heh.. Looks like about .125 wall, 2.5" square. The two longest pieces are the perfect length to go from inside the t/c mount to the rear floor/rail end. Got a few smaller chunks to do a 45* up to the rear frame. (I'll measure and then cut/weld them up at work) Looks like I can cut the lower piece off the factory rails and slide the tube right in, then weld it to the tube after its attachet to the cars f+r frame sections. Im thinking that will look close to stock (good for safety inspection), and not loose me ground clearance. (good for exhast, ect) I will also have a good solid place to mount a trany crosmember when/if I do an engine swap. (a 5.0L 302 is calling me.. cheep cheep.. although I still like the idea of a Jag I6) .. now I just have to build some sort of stand's to get the car high enough to crawl under and weld.. oh yah.. and buy my own welder! Have to see what happens in the new year... wow.. that got a little long.. sorry guys, Im just a little excited today Just wanted to spread the good mood around. Merry Ho Ho evryone!

How about cutting a slot and then weling a 'notch' in the oil pan, enough for clearance of the rack? A friend of mine has done this several times to fit v8's in 4x4 blazers/s10's ect. It that case, it's for front drive shaft/axle clearance, but it's the same idea. You may need to relocate the oil pickup slightly, but it's do-able.. and you only loose a small amount of oil capacity.

I would be wary of boring it .120 over.. that sounds like a lot to me! Wouldn't the walls become quite thin? And if it ever blew up.. it'd be toast.. youd have to buy a new motor... but I bet it'd go like hell!

OK.. did a search.. spent last 3 hours reading through posts... am slightly confused now.. lots of info...but hard to get it all straight. I have a 75 280z. Hate the solid discs. Car needs brakes anyway. May be putting V8/other higher HP engine in down the road. Have friends in wrecking yards. Need to know a few things: Will 84' 300zx (4 bolt/non turbo) vented rotors work (with proper spacers of course) on my wheel hub/spindle? Will the Toyota 4 runner caliper truly be a 'bolt on' to my Z? (will the caliper holes line up without 'sloting/ovaling' them) and if so, what year and engine do I look for? Any clearance issues with 'aluminum slots' style 14" rim? (see pic of my car in album) Thanks guys..

? ? 396.. big block? or de-sroked 400sb?

Personaly, I think the rear wheel HP is the one to know anyway.. If someone tells me their engine has 'X' amount of Hp, they are usually braging a little bit about it. If someone says "I dynoed my car and got 'X' Hp at the wheels" they ussualy know their stuf and are probably telling the truth. The wheels are where the power goes to the road anyway.. Just my %.02

I actually had a guy tell me he does the the same thing..'get's all the old oil out. That stuf'll kill yer engine!" I looked at him like he had two heads and then he got pissed off and called ME an idiot! Theres all kinds....

Hmmm... you know what? I don't like that too much... personally, I like the twin guages in front of the wheel and the 3 smaller ones in the middle of the dash... Its funny.. my girlfriend has a 2002 Pontiac Grand Am and her dash actually copied the datsun Z! Just look at one sometime (they are everywhere!) There are no guages in the middle, just air vents.. but the look is there..

That first one was damn cool.. heh heh.. I can almost smell the rubber! I couldn't get the second one though.. bad link? or maybe just my stupit computer...

AAAHHHHHH HAHA HAHA HAHAH... LMAO Cute.. real cute.. Hey Glen.. I bet that thing 'goes like stink'....

Um.. if you need spacers for the 300zx vented rotors (to make them fit the 280 hub w/zx calipers) doesn't that end up spacing the front wheels out some? Actually, it would space them out the distance of the spacer behind the rotor.. does this cause tire problems/interferance with the fender areas?

I havn't taken a T56 trans off an engine yet, but Im sure it is like any other... make sure all the bolts are out of the bell housing, and look for two alignment/dowel pins maybe... if there are any, they can get stuck sometimes and if the trans is not perfectly straight (in line) with the engine, it cocks sideways and jams the bellhousing on the back of the engine.

Hey man, have fun! I just learne to weld ths past summer and it's not a difficult as some ppl think. Not that I am that good, but a little practice is all you need. Its really a hands on learning thing... but make sure you wear gloves to protect them! (I'v got little scars all over my hands and arms from not wearing any. Ouch!) I am with RPMS though, arc is kind of brutal... I like wire feed mig. The welder I used most of the summer was lent to me by a buddy (who also showed me how to use it) and it was a 110 v/flux core wire unit. (no gas bottle needed because the wire has flux in it) It works quite well, and you can cart it around anywhere and plug in to a normal outlet/extension cord. Only problem is a 10 LB roll of wire cost's $70! My boss has a 'real' mig, 220 gas that I was using the other day, and it is amazing. Just read the chart on the side (for the thickness of metal you'r using) and it tells you where to set the dials. Makes really nice welds with little effort. It's not quite portable though.. I'm actually looking to buy a welder, and I find the stick/arc units are pretty cheep compared to migs. ANyway, have fun man and good luck!

Man... what a waste of good sewer pipe.. idiot's.. the stuf they do to 'look' cool.... I hope I get my 280 on the road for next summer so I can put a few rice cakes in their place...

oh yah, if you are running the EFI, then the problem is most likely the AFM. Thats what usually goes. If its good, then the TVS (Throttle valve switch)

Not that I am an expert on this subject, (as I want to put a frame in my 280z and have similar questions....) But from what I have learned, the trans tunel and rockers are what carry/handle most of the suport for the car.. if they are good and solid, and the car is stripped to a shell, I don't think it would sag much either way...

Dude.. you wana talk 'ill-equiped? I am currently working in a 12 X 20' PORTABLE garage. On the grass/dirt in the back yard. Yes, those stupid things with a metal frame work and tarp/plastic covering... sort of a tent on steroids.. It is tight, but do-able for now. When the rear of the car is done, I will roll it back 3-4 feet to have room to work on the front end. And the doors only open part way, so it's a good thing I'm skinny! Me an my 'signifigant other' (I say girl friend, my buddys say 'almost wife') are looking to buy a house in the new year, and I have already made sure she understands: I NEED a real garage. Or at least a place to build one! As for size, I would go for the 30x30. I like wide more than long work space.

Um... that doesnt sound right to me... if theres only two leads, then one is power and one is ground (to put it up) and they get reversed (to put it down) by the switch...

Yup, thats what I'd do man. some fiberglass, and then a skim of bondo to smooth things out.

http://www.coatesengine.com try that for some info..